Recent Projects

Nelsonville Residential Well Water Quality Project

In the summer of 2018, residents from the Village of Nelsonville began to have questions regarding the quality of their drinking water, especially regarding nitrate-nitrogen concentrations. Only limited historical well water information was available to help answer these questions. Staff from the Portage County Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Planning and Zoning received a Wisconsin Environmental Health Tracking Grant to help answer the questions.

This project is set to redone in the fall of 2023.

Countywide Well Water Quality Projects

In the summer of 2017, Portage County conducted a water quality sampling project of 229 drinking water wells throughout the County to evaluate the current status of drinking water. Portage County partnered with the Center for Watershed Science and Education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point to provide logistical support, water sampling, and data analysis.

The purpose of this project was to generate baseline data on the current status of groundwater quality throughout Portage County. This information will be used to help identify groundwater quality concerns, inform groundwater management decisions, provide a focus for outreach efforts, and aid in the understanding of future changes in groundwater quality in Portage County

The project was designed to be repeated every five years and was redone in 2022.

If you have any questions regarding the project, you can contact Jen McNelly, Portage County Water Resource Specialist, at 715-346-1334 or Email Jen McNelly.